Pneumatic control system.



L. S. NASH.

PNEUMATIC CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1007.

1,001,429, Patented Aug.22,1911.

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L. S. NASH.

PNEUMATIC CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1907.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

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LAWRENCE S. NASH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES BRUSHABER,OF

I DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

PNEUMATIC CONTROL SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 31, 1907. Serial No. 386,359.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE S. NASH, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of WVayne and State ofMichigan, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements inPneumatic Control Systems, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In automobiles of standard type, it is usual to have speed-changing andreversing mechanism and service brakes and emergency brakes, all ofwhichare thrown in or out of gear or operated by levers which are brought asclose as may be to the operators station for convenient use. Each ofthese controlling levers must be moved by considerable exertion on thepart of the operator. Particularly is this true in the case of thedirect drive or high speed clutch and of the emergency brake, whichlatter has often to be instantly applied to avoid trouble at a time whenthe operators hands should be free for the steering wheel, while theclutch must be at the same time released to aid in checking the car.

This invention relates to a pneumatic con trol system whereby thevarious mechanisms are thrown in or out and the emergency brake set byfinger levers at the operators station without any appreciable physicalexertion, a clutch release being provided also which is automatic in sofar as it acts positively before the brakes can be applied, the partsbeing so disposed that the operator does not have to move his hands fromthe steering wheel. A starting mechanism, adapted to be "thrown in andout of operation from the operators station, is also incorporated in thesystem, so that, after assuming his seat, the driver has full controlfor starting, reversing, ,or checking the car and varying the speedindependent of the ,force the collar home.

2 is a view in side elevation of the automobile with the wheels removedfrom one side. Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section, taken on or aboutline AA of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view in detail of an air controllinglever and quadrant. Fig. 5 is a view in detail of the drive clutch forkand brake release.

In the drawings, 1 represents a main frame of any approved construction,which is carried by springs and like shock absorbing means 2 on aforward axle 3 and wheels 4, and on the bearings of a drive-shaft 5having drive wheels 6. This shaft-5 is operatively connected through acompensating gear 7 and transmission shaft 8 to a foreand-aftmulti-cylinder motor 9 secured on the forward end of the frame in thecustomary position, the usual universal joint and slip connections beinginterposed and a forward low speed transmission 10, reverse 11 anddirect drive clutch 12 being provided, all of these parts being of anystandard design adaptable for the construction indicated.

As herein shown the operative member of the direct drive clutch 12 is agrooved collar 13 ada ted to throw out expansion levers 14 whenongitudinally moved, against them, and so frictionally engage the partsin the usual manner of internal expansion clutches. The collar isshifted by a forked arm 15 engaging the grooved periphery and operatedby a lever 61 secured to the transverse main rock-shaft 16, a spring 17holding the arm close to the clutch and a foot-lever or pedal 62 on theshaft enabling the operator to The clutch is thrown out by retractingthe collar through the forward movement of a second foot-lever 18 whichis secured to a rock-shaft 19 parallel to the main shaft 16, and gearedthereto by intermeshing segments 20 or the like. This second lever ismounted on aquadrant 21, and a pedal 22 rocking on the lever end,

operates a pawl latch 23 which normally engages a detent 2 1 of thequadrant so dis posed as to prevent the accidental engagement of thedirect clutch. Similar detents 25 on the forward end of the quadrant maybe used to lock the lever in an advanced position. a

A set of working brakes 26 on the "drive wheels 6 are operated throughequalizing link and lever connections 27 with a rock- "arm 28 oh theTara-a 16, that set the brakes when therock-arm is swung forward by theextreme advancement of the direct- I drive release lever 18, a slottedjoint 29 "direct drive clutch. Emergency brakes 30 are secured to thedrive wheels 6 and are worked by link and rock arm connections 31 with arock-shaft 32,-which is operated by equalizing rock-arms 33 linked to arod 34. T c

Referring more particularly to the pneumatic controlling system, astorage and pressure tank 35 is secured at a convenient point on theframe and is connected by a feed pipe 36 to an air pump whosecylinder-37 is preferably secured parallel to and against the motorcylinders andl whose plunger or piston is'operated'by an extension 38 ofthe engine commutator shaft 39, or it may be coupled to the engine inany suitable manner. The pump is preferably singleaction and selfrelieving as by the use of a check valve outlet in the cylinder head anda check valve intake in the piston, so that it isadaptedto maintain aconstant pressure in the tank in the usual .manner.' The feed pipe isconnected by suitable Ts 40 to the valves of a starting mechanism whichare. normally closed,"bu t are opened by pushing in a spring-returnedrod 42,;which is connected with a pedal, not shown, so as to be withinreach of the operator. The valves 'which are operated by tappets 43 andcams on the extension are adapted to admit air to that cylinderwhoseplston is at -or just past the ignition or highest compression,

movement so as to turn-the motor over until it picks itself up, theproper automatic selective action and timing being 1 obtained throughmechanism not herein described or illustrated and not forming in itselfa feature of the invention.

A three-wayvalve 44 is secured at the base of .a steering post 45 ofusual design.

spindle 46 may be extended up, the steering? This valve may be of anystandard construction which has a rotatable closure whose post and beturned by a controlling lever working on ,a flat quadrant 48, providedwith a latch 49 which interlocks with the quadrant at its center, and ateitherend has frictional engagement which holds it against accidentalmovement. The valve is connected to the pressure tank 35 by a supplypipe 50 tappedinto the feed pipe 36. A

dash-pot or cylinder 51 is secured on the frame adjacent the forwardlow'speed transmissi'on 10, and itsipiston is connectedtothe operating.membe'r. '52- of the transmission.

A pipe 53 connects: this cylinder with one. of the ports of the valve44, the parts being is swun or reverse the drive.

so disposed that the port is opened, the piston depressed and the lowspeed gear thrown in when the controlling lever 47 isat one end of itsquadrant. The reverse drive 11 is similarly operated by the piston of asecond cylinder 54 which is connected to a second port of the air valveby a pipe 55, the controllin lever 47 opening said port when at the oter end of its quadrant. When the port is closed by the swinging back ofthe handle, the valve automatically relieves the pressure, and the usualspring'in the piston cylinder releases'the mechanism, The

third port of the valve is connected'by' a pipe 56 with a horizontalbrake cylinder 57 whose piston carries the emergency brake rod 34, anddraws it forward so as to apply the brakes when air is admitted byturning the controlling lever 47 to the center of the quadrant when itautomatically locks with the quadrant. This brake rod 34 extends throughthe forward end of the cylinder 57 and .when projected, abuts againstthe end of a finger rod 58 which is integral with the I direct driveclutch collar fork 15, the two rods both sliding in a bearing 59 whichmay be conveniently supported on the bearing brackets 60 of thetransmission and reverse clutches. The rods are so adjusted that whenair is applied, the brake rod 34 as it moves forward, encounters thefinger rod.

58 if the clutch is in, and forces it out, thus preventing the settingof the brake-without the simultaneous release of the direct drive Thesame movement likewise sets the working or service brakes 26 as therock-arm 28 ahead by therocking ofthe shafts and their pinions. A springin the air brake cylinders returns the parts to place, releasing thebrakes, when the valve is shifted and releases the air. By thisarrangement of the air system, the operator, by pressing the startingpedal, starts the motor by. turning the valve controlling lever, throwsin the forward or the reverse transmission; can then if drivingahead,change speed or'apply the ordinary brake withthe pedals. By turning theair controlling lever he may instantly set the emergency, automaticallythrowing out his direct drive as he does so,

The chief feature of the invention is the without removlng his handsfrom the steering post instantly throw in or release the transmisison orapply the emergency brake. At the same time, he can, by the pedals,operate the direct drive and the ordinary brake, so that he has the carcompletely under control without moving from his seat, or taking hishands from the steering wheel. The efficiency and positiveness of actionof the transmission mechanism are preserved, while their usual operatinglevers Wl'llCh rebringing of all the controlling parts to" a I centralstation, whereby the operator may quire physical effort and movement ofthe operators hands from the steering post, are replaced by thefinger-lever-controlled pneumatic pistons.

The direct drive clutch-engaging mechanism is herein shown as underpedal control as it is more expedient that the clutch be thrown in andout gradually in connection with the application of the ordinary brake,to give the flexibility of action required while running the car overrough places or through crowded streets, the air necessarily beingalmost instantaneous in its action, and being liable to impart a shockto the mechanism when the motor is at full speed. The automatic andinstantaneous release of the clutch by the air, independent of and inopposition to the pedal action is an important and desirable feature.

While certain definite types of braking and transmlssion mechanisms andclutches are herein shown, the system is ada ted to operate any style ofmechanism by roper disposition, and therefore can be placed on anyautomobile.

Obviously thedesign and details of construction may be varied withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and I do not care to limitmyself to any particular form or arrangement of parts.

lVhat I claim as my invention is 1. In an automobile, change speed andreverse drive transmission --mechanism, brakes, pneumatically operatedmeans con nected to the change speed and reverse mechanisms and to thebrakes for throwing said mechanisms into action and for applying thebrakes, and manually operable means for admitting air selectively tosaid pneumatically operated means adapted to automatically set the brakeapplying mechanism mto action by admitting air thereto when shifting theair supply from the change speed to the reverse dr ve mechanisms.

2. In an automobile, a manually operated drive clutch, change speed andreverse drive transmission mechanisms, brakes, pneumatically operatedmeans connected to the change speed and reverse mechanisms for throwingsaid mechanisms into action and for applying the brakes, and manuallyoperable means for admitting air selectively to said pneumaticallyoperated means, adapted to automatically set the brake applyingmechanism into action by admission of air thereto when shifting the airsupply from the change speed to the reverse drive mechanism, the brakesetting mechanism being positively connected to the drive clutch to holdthe latter in release position when the brakes are being applied.

3. In an automobile a direct clutch thrown into gear by a directmovement of an engaging member, a service brake set by a reversemovement of said member, a pedal latch lever adapted to give directmovement to said engaging member, a pedal brake lever adapted to givereverse movement to said engaging member, an emergency brake set by thedirect movement of an operating memher that is adapted to simultaneouslygive reverse movement to the said engaging member, and a direct andreverse reduction transmission, pneumatically operated means adapted tothrow said direct and reverse transmissions into gear and to reciprocatesaid emergency operating member, means for supplying compressed air anda manually operable controlling membenadaptod to selectively admit airfrom said supply-means to the several pneumatically operating means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two ,witnesses.

LAWRENCE S. NASH. Witnesses:

C. R. STICKNEY, O'rro F. BARTHEL.

